HAMERSLEY IRON ROAD
Page updated 04/03/2002

Since the 23rd of September, 2000 wagons have entered this road.
Hamersley Iron operate a modern fleet of General Electric CM44-9CW, or Dash 9 locomotives designated the 70 Class. These units are rated at 4,400 horsepower and allowed HI to totally replace their locomotive fleet in 1995, when a further 3 units arrived in early 2001 this delivery bolstered the fleet to 32 locos. These were the first locos in Australia to have the 'Rollerblade' style of bogie.
A typical consist is 2 Dash 9 locos on the point with up to 230 ore cars trailing behind loaded with 105 tonnes of iron ore. They also use a banking pair of locos to push trains out of Paraburdoo up to Tom Price and also to push trains out of HIY (Yandicoogina). Hamersley Iron run the heaviest trains in the world with head end power.
Hamersley Iron operate their heavy haul railway from the Port of Dampier 280 km to Wombat Junction where the Tom Price (295 km) spur leaves the main to continue to Paraburdoo (385 km) with two branch lines diverting from Rosella Loop (251 km). One to Brockman (294 km) running west of Tom Price. And the other past Marandoo (300 km) to Yandicoogina (440 km) to the east of Tom Price.
Hamersley Iron removed their track side signals several years ago and replaced it with an 'In-cab Display', known as ICSS or Integrated Control Signalling System, which relays the trackage status to the driver from the train controller located in 7 Mile Yard (Dampier), and by extensive UHF radio coverage. The rostering of the rail crews differ somewhat from BHP Iron Ore, in that Hamersley crews work a type of change over arrangement with drivers located at both Dampier and Tom Price working opposing trains and then changing trains around the mid way point of the journey where they need to cross. Hamersley Iron, like the rest of the Pilbara operators utilise single man crews. For more info here's Rio Tinto Iron Ore website.